“Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in Union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). (Ephesians 2:5 AMPC)

When he jumped off the tree branch, he really thought he was going to make it to the telephone pole. He was told by his cousins that there were nuts for him to chew on in that direction. Sadly, he mis-timed his jump and fell over 30 feet to the ground. 

The impact of the ground on his small 4 and a half pound furry brown squirrel body was too much. He laid there, in and out of consciousness. It was more pain than he’d ever felt before. No one was there to save him. He was bleeding out. Slain in his own shortcomings, a victim to his own trespass. 

Across the forest, there sat a young man with a hoodie over His head. He had a little scruffy facial hair. He had some meat on a stick over a fire, presumably a fire that He made. 

While He was roasting His meat, He felt a tug on His heart. He immediately knew what it was. He was no stranger to this heart tug. He was, after all, the Legend of the Squirrels. 

At least that’s what some squirrels called Him. Some preferred the King of the Squirrels, and others the Squirrel Warrior. And still many others referred to Him as the Great Squirrel Champion. 

No squirrel was able to ever get a full picture of who He was, but there was one thing every Squirrel agreed on: He saves squirrels. 

Throwing His meat away, the Squirrel Champion jumped up from His fire and started running across the forest. He knew every twist and turn, every rock to avoid, every shortcut to take. He jumped over a stream about 9 feet wide. 

Finally, He got there. His eyes were fixed on the broken squirrel body that lay in the grass before Him. He ran forward and gently picked up his tiny body, and laid him in a picnic basket that was on His shoulder. 

The Great Squirrel Warrior took the basket to the stream and gently lowered his body into the water, before raising him back up, clean. The squirrel’s blood was washed away. Next, He put His mouth to the little squirrel mouth and breathed His breath of life into him. The squirrel started coming to his senses. 

The Squirrel King then took out a pump and began pumping His own blood into the squirrel, who started to look more and more awake and alive. He opened his eyes and saw the young hooded Man working on him. He wondered if this was the Legend of the Squirrels Himself, saving him. 

He couldn’t help but feel deep gratitude and love for this young mysterious Man who was doing all of this for him. He must have a deep love for us squirrels, the squirrel thought to himself. He’s saving me without me even asking Him to. I was helpless and unable to even lift a finger, and this Great King is giving me His own blood and His own breath. And He cleansed me in the stream. 

The Squirrel Champion put the squirrel back in the basket and started taking him somewhere. He journeyed with him for hours, into the nightfall, across the forest. The squirrel could smell and sense that he was being taken somewhere new. While they journeyed farther, the squirrel just laid comfortably in the soft blanket within the basket. 

Finally, they arrived and the young man gently placed the basket down. He softly opened up the basket so that the squirrel could walk out. He stepped out and saw a whole bunch of squirrels feasting on huge piles of nuts. He walked up and tried one; it was the best thing he had ever eaten. He looked around and saw that the Squirrel Warrior had brought him to the top of a mountain. There were beautiful streams of water and amazing exotic trees that he’d never seen before. 

But wait, he started feeling deja vu. Had he been here before? Just then, the Squirrel King came up to the squirrel and smiled at him. “Welcome to my Father’s house, Redeemed.” 

Father’s house? Did He just call me Redeemed? The squirrel questioned in his head. “Have I been here before, Squirrel King?” And just as the words were coming out of his mouth, a flood of the most wonderful memories splashed through his little squirrel brain. He remembered that this is where he was originally from! He was born at this place and lived his childhood here! The stresses and anxieties of life had clouded his memory. 

Squirrel King saw his eyes getting wider and his smile getting bigger. “Yes, you are from my Father’s house. This is where you belong. You will be taken care of here, Redeemed.”

“Why are you calling me Redeemed?” Asked the squirrel.

“Because that’s My new name for you, friend… You are welcome to stay here and live here, all the days of your life, Redeemed.”

“Yes,” said the squirrel. Redeemed saw some other squirrels playing music around the Father’s Fire. He walked over and sang a new song:

“Amazing, Beautiful, and Sacred to me is the Squirrel King. For by His love and His blood and His breath He has redeemed me and brought me back to His Father’s house.” 

And all the squirrels fell down in joyful dance. They threw their squirrel food around and rejoiced in their King and His Father.